Posts Tagged ‘sun’

In mid November 2013, I read a scientific finding (by J.L. of my undergraduate almamater) that nano particles such as zinc oxide can possibly cause cancer.

Then, I feel the need to check the ingredients of my sunscreen.

SPF 15 or higher only protects against UVB, but not UVA. According to Dr. David J. Leffell (professor of dermatology and surgery at the Yale School of Medicine), the followings (ecamsule, avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, sulisobenzone, or zinc oxide) protect against UVA.

According to the webmd.com, children’s sunscreens use ingredients less likely to irritate the skin, like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

It seems that the more complicated a product is, the more hidden or unknown risks it carries.

Is zinc oxide (in sunscreen) good or bad for us?

Dr. Lawrence Gibson (a dermatologist at Mayo Clinic) views that sunscreen is safe (has not been proven to increase the risk of skin cancer, has been proven to reduce the risk of melanoma). Instead of looking at a sunscreen’s SPF, choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that will protect you from UVA and UVB rays

If you are pregnant, avoid sunscreens that contain antioxidant retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A or retinol.

1. To protect my eyes, DO NOT LOOK at the sun through the lens / camera viewfinder.
2. To prevent electric shock, do not handle the lens / camera with wet hands, keep the lens / camera DRY.
3. To shoot using the built-in flash (which I rarely do), shoot at ranges of 60 cm and remove the lens hood to prevent vignetting.

4. To protect my lens, do not pick up / hold the lens / camera using only the lens hood. I tend to do this careless action.
5. To remove dust and lint from the lens surfaces, use a BLOWER.
6. DO NOT story in direct sunlight or with naphtha or camphor moth balls.

7. APERTURE & ZONE FOCUS?
I can use zone focus when I do not use auto focus.
I can use ZONE FOCUS for moving babies / toddlers / children and pets.
I can also use ZONE FOCUS in street photography, to allow rapid and candid "shooting from the hip".
Auto focus has lag.